The Wager
by Arianna B
Summary: After losing a bet with Kakashi, Sakura finds herself in a tight spot... not that she minds! KakaxSaku
1. Chapter 1

He heard her before he saw her. Kakashi could recognize that sweet, slightly off-key voice anywhere.

Looking over the top of the book he was currently reading, he saw her walking over the hill in front of him. Arms swinging carelessly, a beautiful smile on her face... same old Sakura. How she stayed so happy all the time he would never know.

The book was put to the side and instantly forgotten as she walked closer, still humming. His visible eye crinkled as he grinned and waved. "Sakura! What brings you all the way out here?"

The humming ceased as she waved back, a grinning cheerfully. "Kakashi! Imagine running into you here!" Kakashi had long ago told her to stop calling him "sensei"; hearing her worriedly call "Sensei?" when he was lost in his own little world was really awkward, seeing as how he most often fantasized about what he'd like to do to the pretty kunoichi when they were alone.

And it made him feel old. He had a few more years before he could even _think_ about being old, so the "sensei" thing had to go.

He leaned back into the tree, casually shrugging his shoulder. "You say the same thing every time you 'accidentally'run into me. What is this, the fifteenth time this week?"

She giggled softly as she plopped down next to him, smoothing out her skirt. "I just like talking to you, Kakashi; you're interesting."

"I'm sure."

"Well, you are! More interesting than Gai, at least... do you know he's been following me around the village, begging me to go on a date with Lee? He keeps telling me that my youth depends on it, or something like that. It's weird."

"So you come to talk to me just to get away from Gai? I'm flattered."

"No, Kakashi, I come to talk to you because you seem to be the only one who has any sense these days."

"And because I'm interesting."

She smiled slightly. "Yes, that too."

He put his hands behind his head, closing his eye. "So everyone's gone crazy, huh?"

She leaned back next to him, snorting. "Have you _seen_ any of them lately? Naruto and Hinata are never apart, so you can't talk to them. Ino's obsessing over Shikamaru, who's _crazy_ over that Temari girl, Chouji's obsessed with food, Tenten won't shut up about Neji, and Neji's just not friendly. Kiba's busy with a new litter of pups, Shino _never _talks anyway, that Kankurou boy is in town but he's obsessed with his puppet, Tsunade is in a bad mood because the last batch of missions all went terribly, and Lee is just Lee." She paused for a breath, gasping in air, and then continued. "I mean, they're all _crazy_. You're the only one I can stand to talk to right now."

He chuckled. "Poor little Sakura, having only me to talk to."

"I'd rather talk to you anyways," she said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you were my last resort. I've always preferred to talk to you."

He knew it was true. Ever since she was a little genin she would come talk to him, fearlessly interrupting his reading time to talk about the weather or the next mission or _boys_. He grimaced at the memory of the last one... that was rather painful.

He had to admit, he enjoyed talking to her, too. Kakashi could bring up any topic and she would know a little something about it, without him having to explain it. He hated having to explain things; it made everything so, to steal that Nara kid's word, _troublesome._ She was also happy to just sit in silence with him, staring at the stars or the clouds or whatever was particularly interesting that day. He had never met a woman before Sakura who could bare to just sit in silence with someone... most women had to go ruin the silence with their senseless chatter. Sakura loved to talk, but she knew when to be quiet, and Kakashi loved that about her.

Actually, now that Kakashi thought about it, Kakashi seemed to love a lot about Sakura. He loved her explosive temper-- he liked women that expressed how they felt, etiquette be damned. He loved how she was trusty and reliable, how he could depend on her for anything and everything. He loved how she was the best kunoichi in the village, and she knew it, but she didn't become haughty or arrogant... she stayed the same old Sakura.

He loved how her green eyes lit up when she saw him, how her pink hair glistened in the sun. He loved how she understood him perfectly, never asking questions.

He supposed he loved everything about her.

And that meant...

"Kakashi? Are you there?" A hand was waved in front of his face, waking him out of his reverie. "I was just saying how nice it would be to go get some ramen. Want to come with me?"

He blinked. "Ramen sounds good... I'll come."

She stood, dusting off her butt. "I'm glad, because you're buying."

He groaned theatrically. "I knew you had some ulterior motive for asking me. You would never ask someone like me to dinner just to talk."

Sakura held out her hand to him. "How many time do I have to tell you? I _like_ talking to you, but I just figured you would be sweet and buy me dinner."

He grabbed her hand and stood, bending down to grab his book. "Sakura, you know I'm anything but sweet."

"You're just an old teddy-bear, Kakashi. Cute, fluffy, and loveable."

He snorted. "Sure, sure. Cute and cuddly."

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Ichiraku's was empty, nobody occupying the stools but a silver-haired man and his pink-haired companion.

Both were currently debating over their ramen bowls, gesturing wildly with chopsticks.

"Look, I say Asuma will ask Kurenai to marry him really soon. They've been dating forever!"

"I've known Asuma longer than you have, and he is _not _ready to settle down. He loves her, sure, but getting married? Not possible."

Her pair of chopsticks came within an inch of his nose. "Oh, come on! If a couple has been together for as long as they have, them marriage is in the near future!"

His chopsticks swept hers away from his face. "Watch where you point those things. Anyways, I still say marriage is a _long _way off."

"I bet you it's not."

"I bet you it is. Tell you what... if the two of them get engaged in the next month, _I'll _buy _you_ dinner for a week, anyplace you want. If they're not engaged in a month, then _you_ owe _me_ seven dinners anyplace _I _want. Deal?"

She stabbed her chopsticks in her bowl vigorously. "Deal!"

The cook stood polishing glasses not far down from the couple, slowly shaking his head and smiling. He remembered a time, long ago, when he and his wife had been like that-- young and in love. Seeing those two really brought back memories...

Kakashi brought out his wallet and counted the correct amount of money, placing it under his glass. "Are you prepared to lose, Sakura?"

She merely grinned. "I hope you have enough money for seven dinners... I don't eat cheap."

"Neither do I." He tucked his wallet back in his pocket. "I'm looking forward to those free dinners with you."

She smirked. "Hope you like sushi."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving her alone on the stool. She smiled-- Kakashi always had to have a grand exit.

Taking a long draught of her drink, she headed down the street, humming slightly off-key. One month... she knew Asuma would have asked Kurenai by then.

She was sure of it.

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Kakashi sat on his couch, head in one hand and book in the other. Anyone who would have walked in would say he was tired, or sad, or maybe a little bit of both. But the truth was, beneath the mask, Kakashi was grinning. A _huge _grin, one that took up his whole face.

He knew he was going to win the little bet. He had known Asuma for a long time, and he knew Asuma was not ready to commit to one person for the rest of his life. He was having too much fun as he was.

And since he knew he was gong to win, what better way to spend his time than plotting what restaurants he was going to force Sakura to go too? He could be cruel and force her to go to the ones she absolutely hated, or to the expensive ones, but he knew he couldn't do that to her. She would probably kill him if he forced her to go to her least favorite restaurants-- _As much as I love her temper, _he thought, _I'd prefer to not be pummeled into the ground. _And he definitely didn't have the heart to make her spend all her money on him... on any other woman, he wouldn't think twice, but not for Sakura. He couldn't have her hating him for the rest of her life, all because of one little bet.

He'd settle for the cheap-but-good restaurants. That was fine with him... better than his cooking, at least.

A week of free food. He could get used to that.

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"So, you and Sakura placed a little bet, huh?"

Kakashi nodded, sipping his sake. It had been way too quiet in his little apartment... time to hit the bars. "I know I'll win. I mean, can you see Asuma getting married?"

Genma laughed. "Not in my lifetime."

"That's what I mean. An easy win."

"Yeah... and this is the perfect opportunity to make your move on that girl, if you know what I mean."

Kakashi looked warily up at him. "I know what you mean, but where do you get I'm interested in Sakura?"

Genma downed his sake in one gulp, sighing happily. "Good sake, no? Anyways, it's obvious you like her. Whenever she comes within a mile, you put down your book and wait for her, like an eager little puppy. You _never_ put that book down for _anyone_. And whenever someone needs to find you, nine times out of ten you're talking to her. Did you know we've started tracking you down when we need you by finding out where Sakura is?" He grinned. "I didn't know you had such good taste, Kakashi."

"She was my student, Genma! I can't be... _involved _with her."

"Ah, but there lies the key word." Genma leaned across the table, smiling wickedly. "She _was_ your student; you said it yourself. Now she's a hot, single kunoichi who just _happens _to like to talk to you a helluva lot."

"She's talked to me since she was twelve."

The man sighed, twirling the senbon in his mouth. "Why can't you see a good thing when it's right in front of you? She likes you, and now all you need to do is make your move and _POW_!" He slammed his fist on the table. "She's yours, you lucky bastard."

"I'm still unconvinced."

Genma sat back and sighed. "There's no hope for you. This is the perfect opportunity to score the woman you love, and we _know _you love her," he said hastily, cutting off Kakashi's protests. "Quit trying to fool yourself. All I'm saying is that you should take advantage of this opportunity. You deserve some happiness, don't you think?"

Kakashi drank the rest of his sake, slamming the cup down on the table. "Well, looks like I'm done here. See you later, Genma." With that he got up and left, leaving Genma shaking his head and muttering to himself.

"Idiot... gotta see the bad in everything..."

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He didn't hurry back to his apartment, preferring to use the long walk back to his apartment as a time to think.

What Genma had said was true, he supposed... the feelings he felt for Sakura were the closest thing he had felt to love in a long time. But still... _she was my student! It's just _wrong _to get involved with her. She's still young, with plenty ahead of her._

**But she's not your student anymore, **an annoying little voice said. **And she's legal.**

_That doesn't make it right. What will the village think?_

**Since when have you cared what the village thought?**

_Since... now, I suppose. Anyways, there's no way she could possibly love me. She thinks I'm a trusted friend, nothing more. _

**Are you sure?**

_Positive,_ he said angrily. This little voice was pissing him off.

**Then what's the harm in trying to woo her during those free dinners? If she doesn't love you, then all of it ends there. Just don't make the wooing obvious.**

The voice had a point. What would be the harm in trying? Nothing, really...

**And you get seven free dinners.**

_Hell, _he thought, _what's the harm in trying?_

**Good**, the little voice said smugly.

Kakashi picked up the pace, sticking his hands in his pockets. He whistled the strange tune he had heard Sakura sing earlier that day.

All he had to do was wait a month, and then the great plan would be put into action.

END OF CHAPTER ONE

**  
A/N: **_Is Arianna trying a multi-chapter story? Oh my God…. Yeah, I know, I broke away from my little one-shots to start this thing, so we'll see how it goes._

_Who knew Genma was so wise in the way of love? It's amazing! And poor little Kakashi, traumatized by Sakura's talk of boys when she was younger... terrible._

_I will try to update this regularly, but this isn't going to be really long, so don't expect a gazillion chapters. I'm saying... oh, I don't know, maybe a total of nine or ten? We'll see. _

_REVIEW! Reviews are awesome, so please... review! I need some constructive criticism, people, and I've not been getting any, so please... TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! _


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning was hell... pure, unadulterated hell. _Damn headache_, Kakashi cursed inwardly. _I can't even think!_

He growled as he struggled to pour himself a glass of water. The headache wasn't from sake, he knew that... Genma had ruined all chances of Kakashi getting drunk the night before. _Probably because of stress or something like that... who knows._

Downing the glass of water in one gulp, he sat down heavily upon his couch. Yes, Genma had ruined Kakashi's night. He'd only gotten down one glass of sake, but he had had to leave. Genma wouldn't stop pestering him about Sakura... and so Kakashi had walked home, sober and thoughtful.

Now, sitting on his couch with nothing else do to, Kakashi thought back to the decision he had reached on that walk home. _Seduce Sakura?_ _Did I actually think I could do it?_

He chuckled. What the hell had he been thinking? He couldn't seduce Sakura... _she_ was the only one who could _seduce_ anyone. Kakashi was just a lazy, silver-haired man who liked perverted books. No woman in her right mind would fall for _that_.

He snorted loudly. Seducing Sakura... that was it, no more sake for Kakashi.

It was proving to be extremely dangerous.

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"Look at them over there! I just _know_ they're going to get married... you can't get anything past  
Ino that deals with love!"

Sakura nodded absently, sipping her drink. Three weeks had passed since she and Kakashi had made the little bet, and it wasn't looking very good for her. She just had five days for the proposal to happen, and if it never occurred all her life savings were gone... feeding Kakashi for a whole week was going to take some serious cash.

"I think it's so sweet that my old sensei fell in lone with Kurenai, don't you! I mean, he's so cool, and she's okay, so it'll be a perfect match!" Ino grinned widely, leaning back in her chair. "Now all we've got to do is hook you up with someone."

Sakura laughed. "Who says I need to find someone? I'm happy being single." She was glad Ino was over Shikamaru, meaning the two girls could actually have a normal conversation, but seriously... sometimes she wished she had a reason to avoid her again, no matter how good of friends they were.

"Well, now that I think about it, you're not really single, are you? I mean, you and Kakashi are pretty close."

"What? He was my _teacher_, Ino! Does the word _taboo _mean nothing to you?"

"Ah... so you _like_ him, but you're _afraid _of what people will think."

"I don't like him!" Ino smiled craftily. Sakura could deny it all she wanted, but her red cheeks told another story.

"If I were you, I wouldn't care what the village thought. Kakashi's got to be hot underneath that mask, and admit it, all that mysteriousness is _really _sexy. And before you say 'He was my _teacher_' again,' let me tell you... he _was_ your teacher, but now he's just a _really close_ _friend_ who's probably looking for something more."

"Oh, Ino! He'd never think of me like that... he's into more mature women. He just thinks of me as the little girl he used to teach."

"Sakura, you need some confidence. Haven't you noticed how whenever you walk by them, men stare? You're hot, and they know it, so why don't you! Tell you what... next time you see Kakashi, see if he looks at your ass. I bet he does."

"_Ino!_"

"What? That's what men do, Sakura!" The blonde girl shrugged her shoulders, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, if you ever want to score with men, you've got to work your assets!"

Sakura just shook her head and grinned. Ino was a card, she had to admit, and she certainly did well with men, but she was totally wrong here. "Kakashi doesn't like me like that, and he never will."

Ino huffed loudly. "He does, you idiot! I was talking to Genma the other night-- you know, that really hot jounin who always carries that senbon? The things I've heard he can do with that senbon... Well, anyways, he got kind of drunk and was talking about all his friends and..." She leaned forward, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "He told me," she whispered, "that a _certain_ friend of his had a crush on a _certain_ friend of mine."

Sakura's eyes widened. "He said names?"

Ino sat back down. "Well, like I said, he was drunk, so his words kinda slurred together a little, but I caught the words _pink hair_, _Kakashi, _and _love._" She smiled triumphantly. "See? He likes you, and he told his friend, who then told me."

Sakura sighed, clinking the ice in her glass. "Ino, you can't assume anything just because a _drunk_ friend of Kakashi's said those words together in a sentence. For all you know, he could've said anything in the world with those four words… he could have said he hated me or something."

"Can't you be positive for just one minute? I mean, I think you need to make a move on Kakashi as soon as you can. You like him, right?"

The pink-haired girl sighed—there was no use in trying to hide it from her best friend. "Yes, I suppose I do." She ignored the delighted squeal from Ino. "But what if he stops talking to me just because he doesn't want to give me false hope or something? I don't want that to happen."

Ino grinned. "Take a chance, Sakura, live life a little. I don't think Kakashi would be _that_ immature. Just see what happens... I bet if you don't make a move, he will."

"I'll just wait a while, Ino. Let me think about it."

"Sakura, listen to the advice of your best friend for once."

"Like I said, let me think about it."

Ino sighed and slouched in her chair. _Sakura may be one of the smartest people I know_, she thought, _but she can be such a dumbass sometimes._

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He was sitting in the same spot, as she expected. His routine never changed-- come to the tree, sit underneath it between the two largest roots, etc., etc., etc. It had been the same for as long as she had known him.

Kakashi looked over the top of his book, catching her eyes as she strolled towards him. "Less than a week, Sakura. Still feeling confident?"

She sat on the root beside him. "Of course. Love conquers all, even stubborn men unwilling to settle down."

He chuckled, setting the book down. "If you say so."

She closed her eyes. "Just watch. All Kurenai has to do is peer up at Asuma with those crimson eyes of hers and tell him how much she loves him, and he'll be putty in her hands."

"Is this one of those sweeping generalizations you make about all men? Just have a pretty girl look into our eyes and we all instantly become powerless?"

"Well, in my experiences... yes. All Ino has to do is side up to some poor, unsuspecting man in a bar and ask sweetly for a drink, and she instantly has the best of everything coming towards her."

"You have to take in consideration that all those men are dead drunk, and most have no clue what they're doing."

An emerald eye slid open. "You just _have_ to ruin my moments, don't you?"

"It's rather fun, I admit."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you, though… _not _about ruining my moments! I'll agree with you on the other thing. Ino was just telling me how she managed to seduce one of your friends... Genma, I think his name was. He was drunk when she met him, but by the time she was done with him, he was telling her everything he knew about everyone. She told me a few things, and it was funny."

_Shit._ "So, did he tell your friend anything about me?" He said it casually, calmly, but inside he was nervously awaiting the answer.

She looked at him-- he was as calm as ever. "Not that I can recall."

"Not that he knew anything," he said lazily, yawning widely. "I like being a mystery, so telling everything about myself to people would kind of ruin my fun."

"I see." She looked at him one more time, not noting any signs of nervousness. "Well, seeing as how I have things to do, I better head on. Talk to you tomorrow, Kakashi."

"Bye." He returned to his book, thumbing to the page he was last on.

She walked slowly away, remembering what Ino had told her earlier.

_Next time you see Kakashi, see if he looks at your ass. I bet he does._

Trying not to be noticeable, she pretended to scratch her neck, looking back at him in the process. Did he... no, he was _not_ looking at her ass from over the top of his book! He couldn't have been. _Must have been my imagination_, she thought as she continued walking.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was trying extremely hard to concentrate on his book. She had just caught him staring at her butt... _Smooth_, he thought. _Letting yourself get caught is number one on the list of what-not-to-do's, and you just got caught. What would Jiraiya think?_

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The next five days passed by amazingly fast, with no positive news about Asuma and Kurenai. _Great_, she thought. _Soon I'll be living in the poorhouse, and all because of a stupid bet!_

Sakura was at the Yamanaka flower shop, helping Ino sort through the crates of fresh flowers that had just arrived. Damn Asuma… she visualized giving him a well-aimed punch to the jaw, happily imagining the sickening crunch as fist met bone. Inner-Sakura particularly liked the idea.

"So, thought about what I'd told you a while back? You know, about Kakashi?"

Sakura groaned inwardly. "A little."

"Well?" Ino peered expectantly over the crate at her, blue flowers heaped in her arms. "What are you going to do?"

"Wait and see what he does." She clipped a dead bud off a stem of beautiful pink flowers. "If he likes me, he'll make a move."

"Sakura, sometimes you've got to take charge. Men are so... stupid, I suppose you could say."

"I think it's better to let it go this way. That way there's no chance that _I _could cause any damage our friendship."

"Whatever you think's best. I mean, it's your life." Ino shrugged. "I tried."

"It's not like I'm a failure or anything! My idea will work!" Sakura hacked away at the next stem, savagely cutting the dead buds off while Inner-Sakura cackled with glee.

"Maybe you're right, but I've always found that a blunt, head-on approach works best with men."

Sakura sighed, desperately searching for a change of topic. "So, any new gossip?"

As always, Ino instantly forgot about whatever they were currently talking about and happily began to discuss the latest news. Sakura nodded, smiled, threw in the occasional "Really?" and "No way," like any good friend should. But, truth be told, her mind was far away from what her friend was saying. She was thinking about the week ahead... thinking about dinner with Kakashi every day...

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry... zoned out, guess."

Ino peered suspiciously at her. "I said I heard Tenten likes Lee now, and that Gai is trying to set both of them up! Weird, huh?"

"No way," Sakura said dutifully, thoughts once again leaving Ino's chatter and returning to Kakashi.

Just then the door was thrown open, bells clanking madly. "SAKURA-CHAN!"

She winced, dropping her clippers. "Naruto, not so loud!"

He grinned at her from the doorway. Behind him, Sakura could clearly see the slim outline of Hinata hesitantly waiting outside the door. "Sorry, Sakura, but I had to find you. Kakashi was asking for you."

"What does he want from me? And by the way, Hinata, hello."

Ino waved at her cheerfully, and Hinata timidly uttered a quiet hello.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know... he said something about dinner. You two a couple now? Taken you long enough."

"No, Naruto, we're not."

"But they should be-- Sakura's in love with him," Ino piped up from behind Sakura.

"R-Really? That's g-great!" Hinata smiled at her from over Naruto's shoulder, and Naruto grinned.

"I knew you did!"

Sakura closed her eyes. "Thanks, Ino," she muttered. "Where's Kakashi now?"

"Uh... I think he said he'd be by the tree, whatever that is."

"Alright… thanks, Naruto."

"No problem... come on, Hinata, let's go get some ramen!" He grabbed the girl's arm, practically dragging her down the street. The two girls watched them go, Ino smiling widely.

"They're so cute together! You and Kakashi could be that cute together, you know. Maybe even cuter."

Sakura shook her head. "I'll stop by later, Ino. Bye!" She hurriedly stepped out of the shop, but Ino's voice followed her.

"Have fun with Kakashi!"

Sakura growled. Have fun while Kakashi gloated over his win?

Nothing sounded better.

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Kakashi didn't even have time to say hello to her. Sakura walked straight over and plopped down in her spot, leaning against the tree.

"You won, I know, but don't _gloat_ over it. It's just seven dinners, nothing to go crazy over."

Kakashi grinned. "Who said I was going gloat? I _never _gloat."

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

"I won't brag... I'll somehow manage to contain my pride. Just wanted to let you know that, since I _did_ win, you can meet me by the Yamanaka flower shop at six o'clock tomorrow evening."

"Where are we going to eat?"

"I'm still thinking... I'll let you know tomorrow. The choices are just endless, you know? I've got a lot to think about tonight."

Sakura jumped up. "Six o'clock at the Yamanaka flower shop. Fine. But please, Kakashi, no place that's super expensive or somewhere I hate. Be nice to me, okay?"

He laughed. "I'll have to think about that, too. See you tomorrow."

And he was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Sakura alone.

_Where the hell is he going to take me?_

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Kakashi being Kakashi, the no-more-sake vow he had made earlier in the month was forgotten almost as soon as he had made it. So, when Genma came around asking for a drinking companion, Kakashi was more than happy to oblige.

Genma had brought along his flavor of the month, a pretty blonde girl that Kakashi didn't know but dimly recalled form somewhere.

"Ino, this is Kakashi-- but you knew that, right? Kakashi, this is Ino."

She smiled at him prettily, flashing her perfect white teeth. "I'm Sakura's best friend! You know, Yamanaka Ino?"

Now he knew her. She looked and acted nothing like the loud-mouthed, bossy genin he remembered from back in the day. "Asuma's old student, right?"

She beamed. "That's me."

They settled down in a booth, Ino snuggling as close as she possibly could to Genma, who looked rather pleased with himself. "So," he drawled, chewing his senbon, "I heard you won the bet with Sakura."

"Yep. Dinner for a week... great deal, if you ask me."

Ino smiled deviously at him. "So... what do you think of Sakura?"

"Blunt, aren't you?"

"It gets my questions answered."

Kakashi was saved by the sake, which arrived just in time. Question forgotten, Ino and Genma wasted no time in downing glass after glass. Kakashi only took one, preferring to watch the show. Genma tended to be hilarious when he was drunk.

It only took twenty minutes before Ino's giggling got out of control and Genma's words began to slur. "Move over, Ino," Genma said slowly, trying his hardest to sound sober. "I need to p-piss like you wouldn't believe."

She giggled and scooted over, falling on the floor. "Oops," she called, shakily standing. "I fell." Genma didn't even notice, instead continuing to shuffle his way to the bathroom.

Kakashi stood and helped Ino up, sitting her back down in her seat. "Now I see why Sakura likes you," she purred, slurring so much he had to strain to understand her. "Such a gentleman."

"That's me." Kakashi sloshed the sake in his glass, spinning it around and around. "So, Ino, tell me... how _much _does Sakura like me?"

"I can't tell." She hiccupped. "It's a secret."

"Well, I'll never tell her you told me." He leaned forward, winking at her. "It'll be _our _secret."

Her high-pitched giggle made him wince. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"Well..." she whispered, looking around dramatically. "I can tell you she likes you _a lot_. Maybe even _loves_ you. But I didn't say anything," she added, grinning lopsidedly.

"Of course you didn't." He leaned backwards, folding his hands across his chest and enjoying the warm feeling slowly spreading across his body. He knew he shouldn't take the things a drunk woman said at face value, but... a part of him wanted desperately to believe, and it clung to this new fact for dear life.

Genma soon appeared, sitting down and pulling a squealing Ino onto his lap. "Hope you didn't hit on my date, Hatake."

"I'd never do that, Genma." He looked at the ancient clock hung on the wall above them. "It's getting rather late... I think it's time for me to head on out. See you later, Genma."

Genma was far too occupied with the woman in his lap to do anything but feebly wave a hand.

Kakashi stepped out of the bar, sucking in a breath of the cool, clear air. He was glad he went to the bar with Genma... it had turned out to be a good thing.

_No_, he mentally corrected himself, _it turned out to be a _**_great_**_ thing. Otherwise, I would have never run into that Ino._

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he slouched away into the shadows.

He had some serious planning to do.

END OF CHAPTER 2

**A/N: **_And next chapter begins the seven days of payment. Kakashi, you little devil, what could you possibly be thinking? Something evil, no doubt._

_Anyways, just wanted to say thanks to all my reviewers... you all kick ass. Seriously. Keep reviewing... I want to hear what you think!_

_Thanks for reading! _


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell are you doing, woman?"

Ino winced. "Stop being so loud! My headache was almost gone..."

Shikamaru scowled from his spot behind the counter. "You wouldn't have a headache if you didn't drink so much every time you go out at night."

"What do you think you're doing, trying to boss me around?"

"What do you think _you're _doing?"

"Cleaning a window. Honestly, dumbass, what does it look like I'm doing?"

He yawned lazily. "Looks like you're trying to spy on Sakura without her noticing, but you're failing miserably."

Throwing down the rag she had been polishing the window with, Ino turned and glared. "Why do you have to assume I'm spying on Sakura just because she happens to be sitting outside the window I'm cleaning? It's just a coincidence!"

Another yawn. "It's obvious you're spying. You've been cleaning that troublesome window for the past twenty minutes."

"It's really dirty!"

"It's really _troublesome_, that's what it is."

"Shikamaru, when I asked you to come help at the shop I thought that maybe you'd actually _help_, but what do you end up doing? Sitting around and making stupid assumptions." She snorted loudly, bending over to pick up her rag. "You're the only troublesome thing around here."

She furiously buffed the window, staring out at her friend. Sakura had been sitting on the curb for a full hour, not moving a muscle. _Where's Kakashi? I mean, when Sakura told me he'd said he'd be there at six, I figured he'd be there..._

"...Why _is _Sakura sitting out on the curb, anyways?" Shikamaru drawled lazily.

Anger forgotten, Ino sighed worriedly. "She's waiting for Kakashi to come so they can go out for dinner, but it doesn't look like he's coming. What if he backed out?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "Kakashi's always late, you know that."

"Well, to be late for a meeting is one thing, but to be an hour late for a _date_?"

"Stop worrying. It's so troublesome."

"Will you _stop _saying that? I mean, _really_!"

"If you had stopped yelling at me for just one minute, you would have seen that Kakashi had arrived." Lazily, he lifted a finger and pointed at the puff of smoke that had just appeared outside.

"Finally!" The rag was dropped to the floor as Ino pressed against the glass, trying to get a better view of the couple outside. "Aren't they so cute together? Look how Sakura is gazing at Kakashi... that's love, Shikamaru, although you probably have no clue as to what that is."

Shikamaru strolled beside her, scowling widely. "Sakura's _glaring _at Kakashi, not _gazing_."

"Like I said, you know nothing about love."

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Kakashi nervously looked at the sky. "It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Would _you _like to sit outside in this heat for over an hour?"

"Well, it's a perfect opportunity to work on a tan--"

She cut him off mid-sentence. "Where the hell were you? When someone is taking you out to dinner, the _least _thing you could do is show up on time... yes, even you, Kakashi." She never raised her voice, but the tone alone made Kakashi wince. "I mean, do you have any manners at all? _Don't say anything_," she added, cutting him off again. "I'm not done with you.

"I have been sitting here on this curb, under the blistering sun, for more than an hour. I have literally been _roasting. _But did you care? Of course not. You probably just sat in a tree somewhere and read that nasty little book of yours. Or maybe you didn't... you _do _have a good reason for being late, don't you?" She looked at him expectantly.

He winced again. Sakura had hit the nail on the head... he _had_ been reading his book. He wisely kept silent, staring at a particularly fluffy cloud that passed overhead. She growled loudly.

"Of _course _not. Who am I kidding... _you_, have a valid excuse?"

He cleared his throat. "I really didn't think you'd take it this badly..."

She snorted incredulously. "You didn't _think_? Well, that's obvious... when it comes to a woman's mind, you're just as dumb as Naruto."

"I'll take that as a compliment. He's doing pretty well with Hinata, or so I hear."

She laughed humorlessly. "Hinata's been in love with him since she was really young, but you... last time I checked, you have no obsessive girls following you around everywhere."

"Last time _I_ checked, I had you."

"I am not obsessive! And I don't follow you everywhere!"

He shrugged nonchalantly and walked off, hands in his pockets. "Can we finish this conversation at the restaurant? I'm rather hungry."

"No, we can _not_! Get back here!" She tugged him back by his vest. "I do _not _act obsessive about you! I mean, has there ever been a time when I haven't been able to form a sentence just because you were near?"

He pulled loose from her grip and strode away, coolly sticking his hands in his pockets. "No, but there are times when that trait would be quite desirable."

"You little ass!"

He turned, grinning underneath his mask. "Sakura, I'm shocked! That type of language is _not _appropriate for a young lady such as yourself!"

"Get back here and I'll show you how much of a 'young lady' I can be!"

"I'd prefer to continue walking to the restaurant, if you don't mind. Much safer."

She ran after him, muttering angrily under her breath.

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Ino sagged against the window, sighing dramatically. "Couldn't you just _feel_ the love radiating off those two?"

Shikamaru yawned. "No, I really couldn't."

"Did I ask you? I don't think so."

He scowled and walked back to the counter. "How troublesome..."

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"You'll forgive me once we get there. It's my secret place, the place I've never told anyone about… it's the best in all of Konoha!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It'll take a lot more than your little 'secret place' to make me forgive you."

"Believe me, once you taste those dumplings, you'll forgive me for anything and everything."

She just grinned. It was impossible to stay mad at Kakashi for very long-- her current record was ten minutes.

He suddenly stopped. "We're here!" Grinning, he lifted his hand and pointed to his right. "I promised you the best dumplings, and there they sit."

"...Are you serious?"

"I never joke about such serious things as dumplings."

Sakura just shook her head, scowling. "I thought you said we were going to a _restaurant_."

He scratched his head. "Did I now? I don't recall saying that... well, regardless of it's looks, you'll still love it."

She warily eyed the rickety cart sitting across the street. Covered in faded red paint, a wisp of gray smoke curled lazily over it. A grizzled old man was sitting on a stool beside it, reading what appeared to be the latest Icha-Icha book and giggling crazily. Yes, she saw the appeal the "restaurant" held for Kakashi.

He strolled across the street, waving a hand in greeting to the old man. "Yo!"

The man dropped the book, jumping to his feet. "Ah, Kakashi-san! My best customer!"

_Probably his only customer_, Sakura thought sardonically as she joined Kakashi in front of the cart.

"What can I get for you and your… _lady_ friend here?" He leered at Sakura, who glared back fiercely.

"For me, three sticks of pork dumplings, and Sakura...?"

"One stick of pork, please."

The man looked disappointed. "Just four sticks?"

"That's all for today." The man nodded and turned, hastily filling their order. "There we are! I promise you, there are no dumplings as fine as mine to be found anywhere in the village! Not to mention there are none as reasonably priced..."

Sakura sighed. "How much?"

"Forty yen."

She placed the money on the counter, drawing back as he reached out to grasp her hand. "Thank you, miss! Pleasure doing business with you!"

Kakashi waved a hand carelessly. "See you next week, Kotsu."

The man bowed once more, disappearing below the counter. Kakashi strolled to a nearby bench and plopped down, sighing loudly. "I love this place..."

"I can see why." She daintily sat down beside him, peering worriedly at her dumplings. "There's not anything wrong with them, is there?"

"Try them."

She hesitantly lifted the dumplings to eye level, peering at the greasy, doughy balls. "If they're poisoned or anything, Kakashi, I swear..."

"Just eat them."

Closing her eyes, she took a bite.

"So, what do you think?"

She hastily swallowed. "These... they beat my Mom's!"

He grinned widely. "Told you they were good. Next time I tell you some place is really good, you'll trust me, right?"

"Of course." She sadly looked at the empty stick clasped in her hand, then looked over at Kakashi's hand... which clasped three empty sticks! "How... I didn't even see you eat them! You're mask was never pulled down!"

He shrugged. "I have my ways. You didn't honestly think this was going to be an opportunity to see my face, did you?"

She blushed; she had, in fact, thought that she would have a chance to glimpse his face at least once.

He stood, towering over her. "Maybe you'll get your chance on the last day... if you're on best behavior."

Sakura growled angrily. "Best behavior?"

"You know, no more threatening me and calling me degrading names like you did earlier. That really hurt..."

"If you thought _that_ hurt, try making me wait a long time for you again tomorrow."

"See, you're already threatening me again."

She snorted. "Who says I want to see what's underneath that mask of yours? Naruto's right, you probably _do_ have fish lips."

"I know you're curious-- you want to catch a glimpse of my devilishly handsome looks. And I _assure _you, I don't have fish lips."

"Your devilishly handsome looks, indeed... I still say you're horribly disfigured or something."

He bent forward, putting his face close to hers. "Want to bet?"

His voice was low, silky-smooth, sending shivers up her spine. She felt his warmth breath on her cheek; her eyes widened slightly, her heart quickened.

Trying her best to act composed, she chuckled, mentally chiding herself when it came out sounding shaky. "I've learned my lesson about making wagers with the devil."

His face came even closer to hers, and she leaned in expectantly, breathing raggedly...

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving her coughing harshly. His voice rang out from behind her, sounding highly amused. "Same place tomorrow, same time. And I'll be there on time, I promise." He chuckled.

She whirled around angrily, about to ask him who the _hell _he thought he was, but he was gone. Another puff of smoke accompanied his departure, sending her into yet another coughing fit.

"KAKASHI!"

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"...And that's all that happened, Ino. Terrible, wasn't it?" Sakura sagged against the counter of the flower shop, tracing the rim of a vase with one finger.

"Not really... I mean, it could have been worse. Hand me that flower, you idiot," she snapped quickly at Shikamaru, who lazily held it out. She snatched the flower from his hand and placed it gently in the vase in front of her. "Anyways, you said it yourself-- he was _really_ close to kissing you."

"It was a trick."

"I think," Shikamaru drawled slowly, "he was trying to see what your reaction would be to him getting that close. Had you angrily yelled or slapped him, things could've gone much worse, but he got what he wanted-- an assurance that you had no problem with him that close." A wide smirk appeared on his face.

Ino momentarily forgot about arranging flowers, instead placing her hands on her hips and eyeing Shikamaru warily. "Since when have you become the all-knowing master of love?"

"Since you two women asked such troublesome, obvious questions."

"He's probably right, Ino." Sakura worriedly placed her head in her hands. "I mean, it all makes sense... but what does Kakashi think of me now? I was practically _begging_ him for a kiss. I looked so desperate!"

Shikamaru snorted loudly. "Don't worry so much ... you might just get what you begged for. Think about it, Sakura, you're not as dumb as Ino here." He gestured at the blonde girl currently staring at him with indignation.

"I am the farthest thing from dumb, thank you very much. The only dumbass I see around here is _you_." She huffed loudly, crossing her arms.

A grin replaced Sakura's previously worried expression. Whenever she was feeling the slightest bit down, all she had to do was visit her best friend and all worries were instantly forgotten. She stood slowly, stretching her back. "Well, thanks for the advice, both of you, but I think I'd better head on home... stuff to do."

He merely yawned in response.

"Wait," Ino yelped loudly, "you've not told me all about tomorrow! What are you two going to do? I mean, I hope he won't take you to another one of those little street vendors. They're so... unsanitary." She shivered.

Sakura stopped in her tracks. "I forgot to ask him where we were going tomorrow... like he would have told me anyways." She shook her head, grinning again. "I'll tell you as soon as we come back tomorrow, okay?"

Ino sighed, clearly disappointed. "Fine, fine."

"Oh, and Shikamaru?" Sakura looked back at the boy, who lazily peeked open one eye. "Tell Temari I said hello next time you see her." He grunted in acknowledgement, promptly shutting both eyes as Ino began to mutter loudly under her breath. "What a loser... how _does_ she stand you..."

Sakura just smiled and walked out, humming quietly under her breath. The little visit had certainly helped her... it had, in fact, given her a new outlook in things.

A malicious grin lit her green eyes, giving them a slightly feral gleam. So Kakashi had thought he could play around with her, huh?

Two could play at that game.

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**A/N: **_REALLY sorry for the late update, but... tiredness got in the way, if you know what I mean. Hope y'all forgive me. And the chapter things got ALL screwed up... it started putting chapter 1 as chapter 2, so then I had to go re-add the REAL chapter 2... don't ask me how, FF just hates me, I suppose. Sorry for any confusion or anything else I caused. _

_  
In other news... wow. Look at all the reviews this got! I never, not in a million years, would have thought I would've gotten so many reviews! And it got added to two c2's! Thanks, everyone, I love you all!_

_So happy... can't even think. Till next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura sighed loudly, taking the papers from her assistant's hands. "Another grade-one head trauma case!" She shook her head. "I mean, we've already seen _four_ in one day!"

Her assistant nodded. "It is an awful lot for one day, but the number of cases doesn't confuse me as much as to why the best medic-nin in the hospital was assigned to the outpatient rooms."

Sakura blushed at the compliment. "You know how it is... not enough medic-nins to go around. We've all got to do our part."

"So noble and so young." The woman sighed. "If only there were more people like you."

"Flattery will normally get you no where... but today it will get you an early lunch break. Go ahead, go eat... I'll cover for you. I mean, I think I can handle this on my own, seeing as how this would be the fifth time I've seen one of these cases today." Gracing the woman with one of her famous smiles, Sakura handed the papers back to her, and then briskly walked away. "If you need me, I'll be in examining room three!"

The assistant yelled back a happy thanks, looking at the paper in her hands. "Examining room three... hmm." A familiar name caught her eye. "What the... so _he's_ the patient? The infamous womanizer... and it says here he brought his pervert of a friend along with him! That poor girl, having to deal with both of them at once..."

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"What examining room are we in again?"

"I didn't look... three, perhaps?"

Genma groaned from his spot on the examining table, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. "I need to piss like crazy..."

The silver-haired jounin looked up from his infamous book. "You're not leaving this room until the doctor comes and checks out that war wound of yours."

"Oh hell, Kakashi, you're the one who gave me the damn thing! Why'd you have to have to hit  
me so damn hard?"

Kakashi waggled a finger at him. "Such language, Genma. It's no wonder you can't keep a woman for more than a week."

"I've kept Ino for more than a week! We're going out again tonight, and this makes... two weeks." He smirked slightly, and then frowned. "I still want to know why you hit me on the head with that... whatever it was."

"It happened to be a stick lying on the ground, and I hit you in self-defense."

"Self-defense? We were sparring! And that had to be more than just a stick."

Kakashi shrugged. "All I know is that you came at me with that senbon of yours. I had to protect myself somehow."

"You little--"

"Be quiet, Genma. I hear the doctor right outside."

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Sakura paused outside the door, trying to hear what the two people inside were squabbling about, but they abruptly fell silent. She rolled her eyes-- this was going to be trouble, she could feel it. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she knocked on the door. "Hi there," She crooned as she opened the door, "I'm--"

"Dr. Sakura! What a coincidence!"

The smile slid from her face. "You... what the hell are you doing here?"

Kakashi waved at her from his spot in the corner, eye crinkled merrily over the edge of his book. "Nice to see you, too. As to your question... Genma here had an accident, so I kindly helped him to the hospital."

She snorted as she closed the door, eyeing the man sitting on the examining table. "What really happened, Genma?"

"Like he said, it was an accident. It would seem that I got hit on the head with a _stick_." He threw a scathing look over his shoulder at Kakashi, who pretended not to notice.

"Hmm." Sakura prodded the back of his head, causing him to wince.

"Damn! That hurt!"

"Must have been one hell of a stick. Looks like you have a minor concussion... nothing serious. It'll hurt for the next week or so, but you'll get over it." She smiled. "Just try to not have any more... training accidents." Sakura turned and walked out the door, turning back to grin at Kakashi. "You're such a loser."

"Thanks."

Chuckling, she headed down the hall, leaving Genma furiously scratching his head. "It went from throbbing to itching! What the _hell_..."

Kakashi still gazed at the spot Sakura had graced moments before. "Genma," he drawled slowly, "how would you and Ino like some drinking companions for that date of yours tonight?"

"Who, you and Sakura?" He chuckled. "Hell no. Do you know how hard it'll be to score if you two are sitting there?"

"What if I promised you a night of free drinks?"

"I wouldn't have to pay for anything?"

"Nope."

A lopsided grin spread across Genma's face. "Then I'll see you at eight."

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"...I mean, isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard?"

The nurse at the front desk chuckled. "It actually sounds kind of sweet. He probably planned the whole thing, you know... found out your schedule and then knocked out Genma at exactly the right time."

Sakura snorted. "I doubt it... it was probably some kind of freak coincidence."

"From what I've heard, Kakashi isn't that one for coincidences."

"Yo!" A sudden puff of smoke engulfed the area, lazily drifting around the man who suddenly appeared beside the two.

"Kakashi!" Sakura said in a scandalized tone. "That jutsu is forbidden in the hospital!"

"I've never heard that rule."

"Well, you have now."

He shrugged carelessly, smiling at the shocked nurse behind the desk. "There goes my excuse. Anyways, for tonight... change of plans. Don't go to the flower shop. I'll come pick you up at your place at eight o'clock."

"Eight? For dinner?"

"Yep."

"Isn't that kind of late?"

"Nope."

"And do you even know where I live now?"

"Naruto's pointed it out a couple of times."

She peered quizzically at him. "Wait... where are we going?"

"A place where food is served. I will give you one hint, though: look nice."

"I always look nice, you idiot."

"...We're all entitled to our opinions. See you at eight!" He disappeared in another puff of smoke, leaving Sakura furiously trying to wave it away.

She turned to the nurse. "Can you believe it? He's so immature!" With a loud harrumph, she paraded away, leaving the nurse sitting amidst a sea of blue-gray smoke.

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Ino beamed at her. "I mean, isn't it awesome? Two weeks with the hottest man in the village! No one thought we'd last that long!"

Sakura nodded absently. "Yeah, great for you two, but about the advice..."

"Oh... well, it's obvious what you're going to have to do."

"Obvious to you, but not to me."

Ino shook her head. "Please, Sakura. If all he did was get close to you, all you have to do is kick it up a notch! You know, channel the sexy seductress."

"What!"

Ino stirred her drink with her straw. "I know you asked me to lunch so I could coach you, but if you're not willing to take my advice..."

"That's not what I meant! How do you become a seductress in one day? It's not possible!"

"You're learning from the master, honey. Just pay attention and do everything I say." The two leaned close, Ino whispering rapidly while Sakura occasionally winced.

"Are you sure this will work? It sounds so... unlike me."

"Exactly! You'll have Kakashi so confused... the innocent little Sakura he once knew will be gone, replaced by a little minx." She chuckled. "I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall tonight!"

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Kakashi rang the doorbell, eye wandering lazily from one thing to the next. Had the mask on his face miraculously disappeared, one could see that he bore an extremely smug expression. He was proud of himself-- he had actually made it on time. Well, a minute late, but it was close enough.

The door before his slowly opened, causing him to blink at the sudden outpouring of light. "Why, Kakashi," a familiar voice purred, "you're late."

The tone of her voice was smooth, sensuous, and she leaned sexily against the doorframe... rather uncomfortably, he noted.

He cleared his throat. "Only late by a minute; nothing big."

She laughed throatily. "Always the funny one, aren't you?" She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. "So," she said breathlessly, looking up at him with her bottomless green eyes, "how do I look?"

Damn fine, he wanted to say. The black dress she was wearing was cut to draw attention to all the right places, and it did a perfect job. Her glossy locks were pulled on top of her head, and he noticed- with some amusement-- that a senbon was holding up her hair. _Guess a kunoichi's always a kunoichi, no matter how much you dress her up._

"Stunning; the senbon there is a creative touch."

"Isn't it? I had to add it in case you got a little... rowdy." She smirked up at him.

"I would never violate your honor, Sakura... unless you wanted me too."

"Control yourself. So, where are we headed to tonight? I suppose somewhere expensive, seeing as how you told me to dress myself up..."

"Well, it's certainly fancy to me."

He winced as she laughed yet again. Sure, he loved to read about sexy vixens, but having Sakura trying to act like one... it was disrurbing. No matter how much she tried, Sakura would never be a siren... she was already the most beautiful woman in the village, hands down, but part of her beauty came from her bubbly personality. Having her trying to act like a character from the Icha-Icha books was something Kakashi did not like at all.

"Can't you tell me, please?" She put on her best sultry pout, and Kakashi winced again. He wanted the old Sakura back, explosive temper and all.

He suddenly grinned beneath his mask. "Well, Sakura," he drawled, "you really want to know?"

"Please."

He put his hands behind his head, closing his eye. "Well, it's a long story. This morning, after we left the hospital, Genma invited me and you to join he and Ino at the bar... you know the bar where all the jounin hang out? That one. Anyways, I accepted, and since practically everyone knows about our little bet, he asked if you were paying for everything, and I said yes before I realized what I had done. But all Genma and Ino are going to want is sake, so it won't be that bad."

He opened his eye and peered down at her, noting with satisfaction that the fake smirk had slid from her face and been replaced with a look of stunned disbelief. Much better.

"You...you told them I would pay for everything?" She whispered. "And, on top of that, you tricked me into believing it was somewhere nice, made me get dressed up, just to go to a bar?"

She was pissed, he could tell, and he was actually glad. Better to have old, crazed Sakura than that freakishly over-sexed Sakura. Kakashi took a step back, fully expecting her to explode-- Dear gods, he prayed silently, don't let her knock the hell out of me, please-- but was surprised when she smiled. It was an odd smile, stretched and fake-looking, causing his surprise to quickly melt to fear.

"You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, Kakashi," she said, talking in a pleasant tone that made him even more uncomfortable, "I suppose you'll just have to learn the hard way." She bent over, slowly undoing the ties on her shoes. Slipping out of them, she raised, a malicious grin spreading across her face.

"Why take off your shoes, Sakura? We've still got to walk to the bar..."

Still grinning, she removed the senbon from her hair, letting the locks cascade over her shoulder. "I can't possibly beat the hell out of you wearing high heels, now can I?"

He gulped. He remembered the times when she had been a defenseless little girl, nothing to be afraid of. But thanks to the tutelage of the Fifth... Dear gods, he prayed again, please don't let her kill me.

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"I still can't believe you invited them to come here, with us, when we're on a date!"

Genma shrugged, taking a long draught of his sake. "Hey, it was the only way to get free drinks. I'll make it up to you... somehow."

He winked at her, causing the frown on her face to be replaced with a small grin. "You'd better," she said, uttering a small giggle.

He chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that. Anyways, Kakashi's still not here, so maybe they decided not to show."

"We would never be that inconsiderate, Genma." He looked up to see Sakura as she slid into the chair in front of Ino, smiling broadly while Kakashi dropped into the chair next to her.

"Sakura, that dress looks great on you!"

"Thanks, Ino."

Genma plunked his glass on the table and leaned forward. "What the hell happened to you, Kakashi? Looks like your left cheek is three times as big as the other one... and I'm not drunk yet."

He gingerly rubbed his swollen cheek, grimacing. "It's a long story..."

"He had a little accident... didn't you, Kakashi?" She kicked him underneath the table.

"Yes," he muttered, "and learned a valuable lesson."

Ino laughed. "To never piss off Sakura? Pretty much everyone in the village figured that out a long time ago."

"Apparently, Kakashi missed that memo." Sakura smiled even wider. "But now he knows."

Genma pushed a glass brimming full of sake towards Kakashi. "I think you'll need this... lots of it."

Ino rolled her eyes and stood. "Sakura, let's head to the lady's room."

"What? I just got here!"

"Come on, Sakura," Ino hissed. "Let's go."

"Oh... yeah, sure." She turned back to Kakashi. "Be back in a minute."

She and Ino walked briskly into the bathrooms, pushing through the throng of women surrounding the mirrors. "So? What happened? Did you follow my advice?"

"Yes, and it didn't even phase Kakashi."

"What? But my methods are foolproof, and field tested!"

"Kakashi's a bit different from all the other men."

"Well, we'll have to devise another plan..."

"No, Ino," Sakura said firmly, "it's nothing against you, but I think I'd prefer to do things my way. You know, be myself."

"But the payback! I thought you wanted to teach Kakashi not to mess around with you!"

Sakura grinned. "I think he knows that now."

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"What really happened? You can tell me now, she's gone."

Kakashi sighed. "To make a long story short, I told her I promised you that she'd pay for everything tonight, and... well, she got really pissed. I ran, she chased, I got the hell knocked out of me, and then she dragged me in here."

Genma snorted in his sake glass. "It's karma, my friend. Karma."

"None of your infamous wit tonight."

"That's not meant to be funny. I meant it with all possible sincerity." He snorted again, sipping his sake. "I just can't believe you were so tactless. I mean, it's you-- Hatake Kakashi."

"And what does me being me have to do with anything?"

"Think about it, oh prodigy. For one to be called a genius, you're awfully stupid."

"If you're talking about me telling her right off the bat that she'd have to pay for everyone, I had to, or else-- Genma, that's my sake you're drinking-- or else she'd have continued acting... like that."

"You didn't tell me she was acting like anything."

"Well, she was acting like... like your date."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, oh slow one. They're heading back over here." He lazily gestured over his shoulder at the two girls making their way towards them. "And you're still drinking out of my sake glass."

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It took less for two hours for Ino and Genma to get dead drunk. Sakura hadn't touched the sake, having spent too many days with a hung over Tsunade to ever want to drink the stuff, and Kakashi preferred to stay to stay sober in case there was a sudden attack on the village or some other emergency. Besides, watching the other drunk people was hilarious.

Sakura stared at the giggling couple in front of her, clutching her empty stomach. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because sake is good, and watching Genma get drunk is something everyone should see at least once."

"I can't see much of Genma at all, just snatches here and there when he and Ino untangle long enough to guzzle more sake."

Kakashi chuckled. "I suppose you have a point."

Her stomach rumbled loud enough for him to hear, and she groaned. "I swear I'll never forgive you for this."

"If you're hungry, then why don't you order something? They serve food here, you know."

Are you kidding? Look at this place! It's filthy! If I ate here, I'd probably catch some kind of disease."

"You have yet another point."

She sighed. "How's the bruise coming?"

"The swelling's gone down, which is good... I don't look like one of Naruto's old botched clones."

She giggled. "You know about those?"

"His attempts at clones back in his academy days were legendary. But then he had to go learn how to make Kage Bushnin, and we had nothing to laugh at anymore."

"Yeah... he really surprised everyone." She leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. "I really think he'll be Hokage one day... probably the greatest ever seen."

"That's our Naruto."

They sat in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. "Kakashi," said Sakura suddenly, "you know I'm sorry for kicking your ass earlier, right?"

He snorted. "Since when do you apologize? And may I inform you, barely landing a punch on someone's jaw isn't classified as kicking their ass."

She smiled. "Whatever you say, you arrogant loser. And I am sorry." She turned to look at him, running her hand through her hair. "I hardly ever apologize, I know, but... you're different."

"How so?"

She blushed prettily. "Well... you know... I--"

"Aw, hell, all the sake's gone. Ino, did you drink it?"

Kakashi inwardly cursed Genma for his terrible timing; Sakura inwardly thanked the gods profusely. "No, Genma, I never... well, maybe I did..."

"Damn it, Ino, you can go get some more, because I am _not _getting up."

Sakura giggled. "I really don't think you two need any more sake... how about we head on out?" She reached into her clutch and counted out the money, throwing it on the table. "This should cover it all."

"Sakura..."

"Ino, begging won't work. Do you have any idea what that stuff you drink by the gallons does to your liver?"

Genma hiccupped loudly. "No, and I don't think either of us cares." Ino giggled loudly at the wisecrack, causing Sakura to roll her eyes.

"Kakashi, will you help me here?"

"How about this-- we leave them here, where the bartender takes them home like he does practically every night, and I walk you home."

"I can't leave Ino like that!"

"Trust me, its better this way."

"But..."

"Don't make me drag you out."

She gave one last look at the giggling girl before her, and then sighed loudly. "If something happens to her, I swear, I'll hate you forever."

"She'll be fine." Kakashi stood and grabbed her arm, steering her towards the door. "The bartender's a nice man. He won't let anything happen to her, or to Genma." Sakura called a good-bye to her friend, but Ino was far too preoccupied to hear her.

The humid night air was a relief from the stale, musty air in the bar. Sakura took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I'm never going in that place again."

Kakashi just smiled, pulling her along. "It's not that bad."

"You could barely breathe in there! It was filthy, it was nasty, and the people were drunk and crazy--"

"That's why I like it. It provides free entertainment."

She shook her head. "You know, you are absolutely the oddest person I've ever met."

"Yet you still talk to me."

"Oddness isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Realizing he was still clutching her ivory arm, he released her, hurriedly stuffing his hands into his pockets. "That's good to hear."

Sakura looked at him curiously, wondering why he dropped her arm like she had an infectious disease, but he pretended not to notice her staring at him. "So, Sakura," he drawled, looking up at the stars overhead, "why don't you finish telling me what you started in the bar? Before Genma so rudely interrupted?"

Her cheeks turned a flaming shade of red. "Well, you know... just... umm..."

A loud, officious voice interrupted. "Haruno Sakura?"

Kakashi sighed loudly-- there was no end to the torture the good spirits put him through. Sakura frowned. "What the..."

A man dropped in front of the couple, someone she had never seen before. "The Hokage sent me to find you. She needs you urgently."

"What for?"

The man bowed even lower. "She did not share with me what you were needed for, only that you were urgently needed. Please come with me."

Sakura cursed under her breath, turning to Kakashi. "She probably forgot where her sake was, and Shizune's gone or something... I'll catch up with you tomorrow, okay?" She smiled at him, a beautiful sight.

He waved a hand. "Go have fun with Tsunade."

"As if it could be classified as fun... take care, 'kay?" She smiled once more, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakashi chuckled-- he was the one who had taught her that jutsu long ago. He still remembered how proud she had been when she had mastered it before Naruto, how she had taken to poofing to every minor little place in the village just to get on Naruto's nerves.

He looked up at the sky once more, letting the silvery light of the moon wash over his face. Yes, his old students had grown a lot over the years—Naruto into the best young shinobi the village had ever seen, Sakura into the best medic-nin to ever grace the hospital. And she wasn't too bad at fighting, either... he rubbed his sore jaw, grimacing. Yep, the girl had some skills.

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Tsunade didn't look up from her sake glass as her office door was thrown open.

"You wanted me, Tsuande-shishou?"

"Yes, I did." She swirled the sake round and round the glass with a slim finger, still not looking up. "Shizune has told me something very interesting... about you." The woman standing behind Tsunade shook her head, a stern expression on her face.

Sakura groaned. "And just what was it?"

The sake glass was placed gently on the desk before her. "Apparently, you and Kakashi have been spotted around the village in a... friendly manner."

"We--"

Tsunade leaned forward, looking up into Sakura's eyes. "Have you or have you not been seeing Hatake Kakashi?"

Sakura gulped. "It... I... we've been going to dinner together a lot lately, yes, but--"

Shizune let out a very uncharacteristic whoop of glee. "I told you! I won, Tsunade-sama!"

The Hokage sighed. "Damn it..." She flopped backwards. "I would have never guessed... Kakashi, of all people... he's a fine man, of course," she added hurriedly, cutting off Sakura before she could speak, "but he's the type of man that I thought would never be involved in a serious relationship. I suppose it's still a good thing for both of you, though..."

"I don't know what Shizune told you, Tsunade-shishou, but--"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Like I said, Kakashi's a fine man. A little on the odd side, but we all have our quirks."

"And you two look sweet together," piped up Shizune.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Is this what you had that man drag me here for?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Well, Shizune and I made a bet, so we had to find out somehow."

"I can't believe you!" Growling angrily, Sakura turned and marched out the door.

"By the way, that's a nice dress!" Tsunade called after her, whispering audibly to Shizune, "I think we embarrassed her..."

"So? Pay up, Tsunade-sama!"

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**A/N: **_I am extremely sorry for the late update... I mean, seriously, it's been about three weeks, right? I hope everyone can forgive me... and I'd like to give a HUGE thank-you to _**x.Mi Tsukai.x **_for being extremely nice-- she edited my chapter! She had it totally mistake-free, but I might have gone back and added a few mistakes where I changed stuff around... oops. But thanks again, Mi! Oh, and you know what to do, people... review, review, review. For some reason I'm not really happy with this chapter, so tell me what you think about it!  
_


	5. Chapter 5

"Really?" Sakura's eyes opened wide. "You don't say... well, tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes, tops. Mm-hmm. Thanks!"

She clicked the phone off and laid it on the table beside her, stifling a chuckle. "Trust Shikamaru to go and do something stupid," she muttered to herself, chuckling. "A typical Shika-moment."

Sakura ran out the door, giggling madly and reflecting on what the nurse had told her. "_Well, ma'am_," the worried voice on the other end of the phone had said, "_he said he told his girlfriend to quit being so... troublesome, I think it was, and to leave him alone. Anyways, the girl apparently took it badly and-- this is exactly as he said it-- 'blew me out of the damn second story with that damn fan of hers.' I don't know what he meant by that, but the fact is that he has two broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and nasty bruises all over him, and he refuses to be treated by anyone other than you_."

She neatly dodged a group of women standing on a street corner, still giggling. She could imagine the whole--

"That's her," a loud voice rasped. "That's that pink-haired skank."

Sakura stopped and whirled around angrily. The voice was obviously talking about her-- how many other pink-haired people was there-- and had dared to call her a _skank_. "Excuse me?" she called out icily, glaring at the only possible culprits... the group of women, all of whom were glaring back at Sakura. "Did you say something?"

"Damn right I did," the voice rasped again. The group of women parted down the middle to reveal a hefty woman dressed in a violet nightgown, her pallid face twisted into an angry sneer around a cigarette. "Tell me, you little hussy, what did you do to Kakashi-kun?"

"Kakashi-kun?" She would have laughed, had she not had at least twenty women staring at her with murderous intent.

"That's right. You did something to our Kakashi-kun because we know he would have never otherwise agreed to go to dinner with you. So what did you do, huh?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The woman dropped her cigarette on the ground, stomping on it angrily. "Don't play stupid, girl," she huffed, "we all know you did something. I bet it was some kind of forbidden jutsu, or one that you created."

"I think that Tsunade woman taught her it," called a voice from the back. "My mother always said she was no good." All heads nodded in agreement.

Sakura stomped a foot angrily. "You women are crazy! There is no such thing as a... a seduction jutsu, or whatever the hell you want to call it, and there is no way to create one!"

The woman took a step forward, tiny eyes narrowing. "If you don't release that jutsu," she hissed, "I will personally come and break every one of your ribs, one at a time."

Broken ribs... damn it. "I don't have time for this," Sakura muttered. "You're all crazy!" She turned her back in the gaggle of women, running down the street.

"That's right," called the woman, raising a fist angrily. "Go ahead and run! But you'd better leave our Kakashi-kun alone!"

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Shikamaru yawned as the door to his room was thrown open. "It took you twenty minutes and thirty-nine seconds to get here," he drawled, lazily eyeing the clock on the wall in front of him. "I thought you told the nurse--"

"Shut up," the pink haired girl growled. "I would've been here on time, but I ran into Kakashi's little _fan_ _club_..."

He yawned again. "That group of women that stand on the corner about two blocks from here?"

Sakura's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Yeah... how'd you know?"

Shikamaru snorted. "Temari and I happened to walk down the street not too long ago, and some fat, troublesome woman proceeded to give us a lecture on the 'sins of the flesh'. Don't worry about it... they seem to think it's their duty to annoy every single person who walks by. It's probably not that they actually _love _Kakashi, it's just that they needed someone to annoy and you were the perfect target."

Sakura laughed. "It sounds like the same bunch of women, but they were quite adamant about their feelings for him... one of them actually had the nerve to call me a skank, accuse me of using some kind of seduction jutsu on Kakashi, and then threaten me! She told me she'd break my ribs if I didn't release the jutsu on her 'Kakashi-kun'. I mean, how idiotic can they get?"

"Speaking of broken ribs…"

"Yeah, I know." She walked to the foot of his bed and grabbed the clipboard that hung there. "Let's see... two broken ribs-- left bottom side-- plus a broken collarbone and some nasty bruises. Says here you fell out of a second story window... how on earth did that happen?" She peeked over the clipboard, eyes twinkling merrily.

"I know you heard the story."

"Hmm... You're lucky you didn't obtain worse injuries." She let loose a giggle. "Seriously, Shikamaru, did you have to go and tell her all that stuff?"

"Yes. She was being extremely troublesome."

"That's a terrible excuse, and you know it."

"Can you just heal me and quit talking, woman?"

"You see? This is what gets you into these messes-- being rude to women."

Shikamaru sagged against his pillows. "You're being very--"

"Troublesome, I know." She smiled at him. "I'd better just heal you so you can get out of here… I don't think the nurses could handle you much longer."

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Ino burst into hysterical laughter. "You're kidding! You actually blew him out the _window_?"

Temari shrugged nonchalantly. "He wasn't hurt too badly, was he, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "A couple of broken ribs, a broken collarbone... child's play, really."

Ino slapped the table. "I... I can see it," she spluttered. "I can see him as he fell out the window... damn!" She snorted loudly and collapsed against the table, chortling.

"So, Temari," Sakura began carefully, "what's going to happen between you two? I mean, blowing him out of a window isn't exactly helpful in you two's relationship..."

The sand-nin sipped her water daintily. "I went and talked to him today, I apologized-- he was shocked, seeing as how apologizing isn't exactly my forte-- and then I agreed to not blow him out of any more windows as long as he stopped telling me to not be troublesome. Do you know how annoying it gets to be called that day after day?"

"Yes," laughed Ino. "I've been called it for _years_!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's good to see that you two reached an understanding."

"Yeah... as dumb as he is, I don't know what I would do without him."

"Oh my-- Temari, I can't believe I forgot to tell you!" Ino leaned forward, grinning widely. "Guess who Sakura's dating?"

Sakura blushed. "I'm not dating him, Ino…"

"KAKASHI!" Ino threw her arms up in the air. "Aren't they just adorable?"

Temari wrinkled her nose. "Kakashi... you mean your old teacher?"

Sakura blushed even more. "I'm not dating him, but I--"

"She-lost-a-bet-and-owes-him-seven-dinners," Ino muttered quickly, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, that's true, but the more important thing is that Sakura admitted to me that she might possibly love Kakashi, and Kakashi admitted to Genma who admitted to me that Kakashi might just love her back!"

Temari frowned. "Genma?"

"You know that hot jounin that's always chewing on a senbon... so sexy." Ino sighed lovingly. "We've been together for two weeks! We're, like, the hottest couple in the village!"

Temari cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, I've heard about Genma... he's the womanizer, right?"

"No!"

"Yes," Sakura said, "but he seems to be truly infatuated with Ino. I don't think he's hit on another woman the whole two weeks."

Temari let out a low whistle. "Good job, Ino."

Ino smiled. "Love conquers all, doesn't it, Sakura?"

"So it appears."

"So," Temari leaned forward. "How are Hinata and Naruto? Still going strong?"

Sakura let Ino happily tell all the latest gossip, content to lean back and let her mind wander to more important matters. _Kakashi-kun_... She closed hereyes and shook with silent laughter, imagining the fat woman from earlier trying to kiss Kakashi. _He'd be smothered!_

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Elsewhere in Konoha...

"How could you do this to my poor student! It's... it's a _travesty_!"

Kakashi merely blinked.

Gai began to wail even louder. "Lee will not even train! It's destroying him! How could you take away his most precious person, Kakashi? How could you?"

The silver-haired man shrugged. "I thought you said Lee and that other girl on your team-- Tenten, was it? -- were 'deeply and passionately' in love."

"Love is a fickle thing, Kakashi! Lee realized the power of the love he feels for Sakura, and it far outweighed his feelings for Tenten. But now…" Gai's face was soon covered in twin rivers of tears, and he collapsed in front of a bewildered Kakashi. "Lee will not talk to me!"

Kakashi sighed. "Terrible for you, honestly, but--"

"But _nothing_! Lee has lost the very essence of vitality that made him the wonderful vision of youth he was, and all because you stole the love of his life!" Gai stood quickly, thrusting a fist into the air. "I will not allow this to continue! I will... I will..."

Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had plenty of experience with Gai over the years, but this... this was one of the oddest encounters ever. Thankfully, Gai was a relatively simple person to deal with. "Hey, here's an idea," Kakashi said slowly, making sure Gai caught every word. "Why don't you convince Lee to train harder? To prove to Sakura how strong he is than me? Because once he demonstrates how much better he is, there is _no way_ Sakura could resist him."

Gai punched the air again. "That's it! I will tell him to train, to recapture the essence of his youth! There is no way anyone could resist him then!" He smiled his famous smile, a loud _ping_ echoing around him. "Once again, Kakashi, I have outwitted you and proven who the better man is!"

"That's right, Gai. There is _no_ way I could _possibly_ beat you in anything." Kakashi lazily turned and walked away. "Good luck with Lee," he called over his shoulder, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Seeing as how he won't talk to you, this is going to be a hard task.

"But I will accomplish it with speed, for I have the power of YOUTH!"

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Sakura collapsed on her couch, kicking off her shoes. For the day to have been her one day off, it had been surprisingly hectic-- the rush to the hospital to heal Shikamaru, the lunch with friends, the rush back to the hospital to heal Shikamaru again because he had mysteriously fallen down a flight of stairs-- Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that one of the nurses Shika had dubbed to be 'ugly and idiotic' had had a bit too much of his smart-ass mouth, and had decided to do something about it-- and then the hurry to run to the market before it closed. _But now I finally have some alone time... some time_ _to just relax_...

"Sakura! Been a long time!"

She whirled around, sitting up on her knees. "What the--"

Pakkun merrily grinned at her from his perch on the counter. "It's been, what, two years?"

_There goes my me time_... "Longer." She gripped the back of the couch, trying her hardest to stay civil. "So, what brings you here? You know, in my house? Without an invitation?"

"Calm down, Sakura, just here to deliver a message." He jumped down, shaking himself off. "I've been delivering a lot of these lately, you know. Not seeing as much action as I used to..."

"That makes two of us," she muttered. "I've been sitting around the hospital more and more..." Pakkun jumped on the back of the couch directly in front of her.

"Terrible, isn't it? And if you can just untie it off my back, please." He turned sideways, allowing her to gently pluck the rolled note from its ties.

"Thanks, Pakkun."

"Yeah, well, it was nothing big. Till next time... or the next message." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura dropped back down on her butt, opening the note slowly. She squinted-- the untidy scrawl was barely legible.

_Meet me in front of the flower shop as soon as you get this_.

Sakura frowned-- one sentence that was all. Not even a very polite sentence. "Typical Kakashi," she muttered. "Just typical."

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"So, who are these flowers for?"

Kakashi winked-- at least, Ino thought it was a wink, seeing as how she could only see one eye open and close quickly. "Someone special."

"Someone like... Sakura?"

"Maybe." Ino leaned back and looked at the finished bouquet.

"There! It's done... and I know she'll like this."

He laid the money on the counter. "Thanks, Ino."

"Anything for you." She pushed the vase of flowers forward, admiring it for a moment. "You know, I think this is my best piece yet... very balanced and pretty."

Kakashi knew nothing of flowers, but it did look pretty, he'd say that. A single red rose rested in the middle of a simple glass vase, surrounded by tiny pink sweetheart roses with a dash of soft white flowers thrown in. "I think the baby's breath adds a nice touch," Ino said. "Very soft and delicate."

"Beautiful," he agreed. "I think she'll like it, too." He clutched the vase gently, lifting it off the counter. "Tell Genma I said hey, seeing as how you'll be seeing him before I do."

"Sure. Good luck with tonight!"

"Thanks." He kicked the door open. "But I doubt I'll need luck."

"Sure you don't… I mean, look what happened last night!" Ino snorted. "You were exactly suave then, if I remember correctly."

"That's me," he said cheerfully, walking out of the store. "Always perfect." He ignored the laughter that followed him out the door, focusing instead on the woman currently standing in front of him. "Sakura! When did you get here?"

"About two minutes ago," she said wearily. "You said to come here as soon as I got the note, right?"

"Glad to see you followed directions. For that, you get a prize." He held out the bouquet. "For putting up with me for... well, let's just say for many years and leave it at that."

"It's beautiful!" All traces of tiredness disappeared from her voice. "You got this for me?"

"Yep. It's one of a kind, just like you."

Sakura grinned at him, delicately lifting the vase from his hands. "That's a good thing, right?"

"If you want to look at it that way."

She stroked a rose petal, still grinning. "I... I don't know what to say."

Kakashi chuckled. "You could tell me thanks, for starters."

"Well then, thank you."

"You're welcome." He looked up at the sky. "It's getting kind of late... ready for dinner?"

Sakura smiled dumbly at the flowers, still lost in her own little world. "That sounds fine."

"Then let's go."

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Kakashi happily slurped up a particularly long ramen noodle. "Nothing beats Ichiraku's, right?"

"Nothing." Sakura smiled up at him, then smiled at her ramen bowl, and then smiled at the flowers sitting in front of her.

He grinned-- seeing Sakura so happy over such a simple thing as flowers was great. _Hell, since she loves flowers so much, maybe I should give her some every day of the week._

She suddenly began to giggle. "I forgot to tell you! Guess who I ran into today?"

Kakashi slipped the chopsticks under his mask. "I have no idea."

"Your fan club!"

The chopsticks paused. "I have a fan club?"

"Yep."

"Let me guess-- as soon as you met them, you ran to join."

Sakura laughed. "If it makes you feel better about yourself… sure."

"I knew it." He dropped the chopsticks. "So, how were the members of this club? I'm guessing all were young, sexy, and scantily clad."

An image of the fat woman in the purple nightgown popped into Sakura's mind. "Of course," she said, stifling a giggle.

"I'll have to go rub this in Jiraiya's face next time I see him."

"You do that."

"You can be sure I will." Kakashi leaned forward, staring at the rose in front of him. "Oh, and speaking of running into people... guess who I ran into today?"

"Your eternal rival?"

The silver-haired man snorted. "How'd you guess?"

Sakura shrugged. "Woman's intuition."

"Lucky guess, more like it. Can your woman's intuition tell you what he told me?"

"Hmm…." She scratched her chin. "Let me see... right now, it's telling me he told you that... that... that Lee and Tenten are no more, and Lee now wishes to earn my love."

Kakashi's visible eye widened playfully. "That intuition of yours is amazing."

Sakura chuckled softly. "It's more like Lee came running up to me in the hospital, yelling at the top of his lungs that he loves me like no other man could possibly love me, and that someone like me needed someone like him."

"What'd you say?"

She chuckled again. "I didn't have to say a thing. I had the biggest, fattest nurse at the hospital sit on him while I shot him up with a sedative. He should be waking up right about now..."

They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. "I wish you could've done the same thing to Gai," Kakashi said amusedly. "It would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"I would have if you had run and got me."

He shook his head, still laughing, when suddenly—

"Haruno Sakura? Hatake Kakashi?"

They both turned and looked into the face of the same man from the previous night. "You again?" Sakura groaned. "What do you need now?"

The man bowed low, his nose practically touching the ground. "The Hokage requests both of your presences immediately."

"Both of us?"

The man nodded. "Yes, both of you. Immediately."

Sakura sighed. "Let's go... it's probably something stupid, like last night."

Kakashi stood slowly. "You never told me what happened then."

"It's a _long_ story. I'll tell you another time."

The man cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but the Hokage said--"

"I know, I know," Sakura muttered. "We're going." She and Kakashi both disappeared in a puff of smoke. The messenger scowled-- no thank you, no appreciative words at all. Why was it people like him never got the respect they deserved?

The hefty cook suddenly appeared behind the counter, glaring down at the much smaller man. "Hey, buddy," he growled, "Since your friends ran off, I'm guessing you're picking up the tab, right?"

The man's scowl grew even larger. _No damn respect!_

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Tsunade lifted her sake glass to the couple entering her office. "Wonderful to see that you two decided to join us."

Sakura scowled, while Kakashi merely looked around the room with an expression of indifference. "Why did you need us so urgently, Tsunade-shishou?"

The Hokage cackled. "We couldn't very well start without you, could we?"

For the first time, Sakura noticed the people scattered around the room. Naruto grinned cheerfully at her from his spot in front of the desk, waving enthusiastically. Neji met Sakura's gaze with his trademark glare, while Shikamaru yawned and Genma nodded lazily.

"What the... what's going on here?" Sakura looked up at Kakashi, who shrugged.

Tsunade smiled sweetly. "A mission de-briefing, of course!"

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**A/N: **_Finally, some action! I mean, a mission is _bound _to be exciting… or is it? Guess ya'll will have to wait._

_Thanks again to _x.Mi Tsukai.x _for the edit!_

_One last thing… please, review! If you like it, if you hate it, if you think it's absolutely terrible... I'd kinda like to know. Thanks to all those people who have reviewed since the first chapter! (You all know who you are!)_

EDIT: _You know what's weird? Apparently, this dumb website eats quotation marks. When Mi-chan pointed out to me all of the mistakes in this chapter, I thought, "WTF? Almost all of them deal with quotation marks!" So, feeling very stupid for making that many mistakes, I pulled out my old document-- I keep every document I've ever posted here-- and guess what? All the quotation marks that were missing in the this copy were there then. Damn you, this-damn-webiste... damn you._

_And WHY for the LOVE OF GOD won't they let you put the address of this stupid website in a document? It's annoying. Furthermore, WHY does this stupid website RUN WORDS TOGETHER when you edit your document here? If anyone has an answer, then please, I'd like to know._


	6. Chapter 6

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**PREVIOSULY:**

_For the first time, Sakura noticed the people scattered around the room. Naruto grinned cheerfully at her from his spot in front of the desk, waving enthusiastically. Neji met Sakura's gaze with his trademark glare, while Shikamaru yawned and Genma nodded lazily._

_"What the... what's going on here?" Sakura looked up at Kakashi, who shrugged._

_Tsunade smiled sweetly, "A mission de-briefing, of course!"_

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"A mission?" Shikamaru scowled. "Your little lackey said this was for a shougi tournament."

Tsunade grinned. "So _that's_ how he got you over here so quickly... I'm going to have to give that man a raise."

"Well, he told me that this was so I could sign-up for Konoha's annual ramen-eating festival!"

"Naruto," Neji said disdainfully, "when has Konoha _ever_ had a ramen-eating festival?"

Naruto frowned. "I... well... that's besids the point! Why the hell didn't the man just to come down here to for a mission de-briefing?"

The Hokage shrugged carelessly. "I can't control what that man says, or how he lured you down here. But let's be honest, Naruto, would you have rushed down here as fast as you did if he hadn't have told you to hurry and sign up, and that you'd get all the free ramen you could eat?"

"For a mission? Hell yeah!"

"You know, for some odd reason, I don't think you would have. The 'lackey,' as Shikamaru so nicely named him, knew that the only way to tear you away from Hinata for more than 10 seconds was to mention the words 'free' and 'ramen'."

Naruto's eyes widened. "He knew I was with Hinata? That means... was he _spying_ on us?"

Sakura guffawed loudly, "Oh, come on, Naruto, everyone in the village knows that you're with Hinata 24/7. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Tsunade nodded, "It's pretty much common knowledge that you're always with Hinata, and that Sakura's always with Kakashi. Congratulations, by the way." She winked at Kakashi. "You won me a free night of sake from Jiraiya."

"I did _what_?"

"Well, Jiraiya didn't believe all the rumors that you and Sakura were an item--"

From his corner, Neji rolled his eyes-- as much as he respected the Hokage, she could be extremely vexing. What about the _mission_?

"--and so I bet him money that yes, you two were, and that you had actually committed to a serious relationship--"

A loud cough was heard from the dark little corner.

"--and he agreed to it. I mean, it's common knowledge that you two are together--the whole village knows-- so I was surprised that the old hermit didn't know. But hey, I won! And he still hasn't paid up yet--"

Neji coughed again.

"--so I suppose I should tell Shizune to remind me to remind Jiraiya. And do you need a damn cough drop or something, Neji?"

Venturing out of the shadows, Neji bowed formally, "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but I must ask... what does all of this have to do with the mission?"

"I'll get to the mission when I feel like it, Neji."

Sakura-- her cheeks and ears a bright shade of red-- glowered at her teacher. "Just get on with it!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You're just embarrassed."

"No I am _not_!"

Shikamaru lazily looked around the room, trying his best to ignore the troublesome women. His gaze settled on Kakashi, who was currently staring out the window with a look of intense thoughtfulness. _Probably thinking about the mission_, Shikamaru thought sluggishly.

In reality, Kakashi was thinking of something _far _more important.

_Good gods, did Tsunade actually say that I was committed in a serious relationship?_

Kakashi shuddered. _He_, in a serious relationship? He was only thirty-two! There was absolutely _no _desire settle down… maybe in a few years, but now?

No.

_Well_, an annoying little voice nagged, _if you weren't ready to get in a serious relationship, then why did you lead Sakura on?_

Kakashi blinked. He had done no such—

_The flowers, the shameless flirtation… you knew what you were doing. You were enjoying it all _way _too much, and you didn't stop to think about how she would feel._

The voice had a point.

_Of course I do. So what are you going to do about this problem_?

Kakashi sure as hell didn't know.

_I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to stop giving Sakura false hope… you're not ready to settle down, and you know it. You like the girl, right?_

Yes, he did.

_So stop acting like an ass. _

Kakashi frowned—the voice was being _entirely _unfair. He wasn't ready to settle down at the _moment_, but there was the future to think about. When he was ready, Kakashi would settle down—no doubt about that—and the only woman he could possibly see in his version of the future was Sakura.

_Exactly—that's the _future_, but you're living in the _now, _Kakashi. Unless you want Sakura to think you're ready and willing to settle down at this very moment, you'd better tone it down. _

Kakashi's frown deepened—he had never said anything to her about settling down. He hadn't even said anything about them being a _couple_.

_If the village thinks that, you idiot, then the girl probably does, too._

"Oi, Kakashi!" Naruto was suddenly bobbing up and down in his field of vision. "What's wrong with you?"

He blinked. "Just... just thinking." Looking down beside him, he saw Sakura gazing worriedly at him.

_Stop it now, Kakashi. End it._

Kakashi quickly looked away, forcing her image out of his mind and instead focusing on the Hokage.

"So... now that you're back down to earth with the rest of us," she was saying, frowning up at him, "we can begin discussing the mission." Reaching under her desk, she brought up a small basket full of thin scrolls, "There's one here for everyone-- you can get one at the end of the discussion, but right now I'm going to... discuss."

"This mission," she began seriously, "is vital. Konoha is getting paid extremely well for this, so I expect nothing but the best from each and every one of you." Her gaze settled on each person in the room, "They requested our elite, and we are going to deliver. Understood?"

The room rang with a chorus of "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. Now, the main point of this mission is this-- Suna is under attack from a group of rebels that are, apparently, unhappy with Gaara's reign, simply because they still view him as a monster. We know better," she said quickly, cutting off Naruto's angry outburst, "and so we're going to help. This group's assignment is to go to Suna and find the headquarters of the rebels. You are to crush the leaders of the rebellion, effectively quelling the uprising."

"No offense or anything," Genma drawled lazily, "but why can't Suna just do this themselves?"

"Every time Suna officials discover the site of the rebel's headquarters, the rebels move out to another location. Gaara suspects there are spies inside his cabinet that are informing the rebel's of Suna's plans, not allowing them to do anything effectively. With this team doing the hunting and extermination, there is no way the rebel's spies can do anything about it."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, yes, but what's stopping the rebels from already knowing that we're headed there?"

"Gaara sent his request of help directly by his sister, Temari, who slipped out of the city unnoticed-- at least, they think she did. No one knew of her leaving but Gaara." Tsunade sighed. "There's always a chance that the rebels know of this group's coming, of course, but at this moment it seems unlikely. As long as you keep a low profile in Suna, you should be fine." Tsunade's eyes slid closed. "That brings me to the next part-- when you arrive at the village, you are to not enter until nightfall, and then only when escorted by Temari, Kankurou, or Gaara himself. If anyone else tries to escort you, you are to kill them. It matters not if they are old, frail, or even a child."

"We're to kill a child?" Sakura looked around uneasily.

The Hokage opened her eyes. "If necessary, then yes. According to this report, the rebel group is fond of using children-- they load the child with explosive tags, and then send them into heavily occupied places. People hesitate to kill a child-- people just like you, Sakura-- and that gives the rebels all the time they need. The tags detonate and everything is destroyed... one child was loaded with enough tags to vaporize an entire square block. Nothing was left standing."

Sakura gasped loudly. "But using innocent children... that's terrible!"

" 'All's fair in love and war,' " Kakashi muttered sardonically.

Tsunade nodded grimly. "Exactly. You are at war with these rebels, and are to use all methods necessary to win. The rest of the information you need is in these scrolls, so I suggest you take them home and study them." She pushed the basket forward, "Just don't stay up too late."

Naruto ran forward and snatched a scroll. "Why does it matter?"

"Because this mission is of such importance, and because it takes three days to get from here to Suna... you all leave immediately at five o'clock tomorrow morning."

"What!" Sakura's eyes opened wide, "But... that means we have no time to get prepared! What about our supplies, our weapons, our--"

"Everything will be provided," Tsunade said firmly. "I will personally meet you at the front gate at four forty-five, and I expect you all to be there-- did you hear that, Kakashi?"

He nodded.

"All of the supplies will be there, but you will, of course, have to bring your clothes and other personal necessities."

"Great," Shikamaru muttered. "I can tell this mission is going to be troublesome already..."

Tsunade smiled slightly. "Yes, it will be, but somehow I think you can make it through. This group is the best this village has to offer-- prove it. Make us proud."

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The group walked silently out of the building, each clutching their scroll. The mission weighed heavily upon their minds, smothering everything else.

"Well," Genma said slowly, breaking the silence, "guess I'd better go tell bye to Ino... something tells me I won't be seeing her for a while."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah... I wonder how Hinata will take this."

Shikamaru scowled up at the sky, "So this is why Temari came to town yesterday, this is why she was so edgy... how troublesome."

Neji stalked silently away, planning to go home and diligently memorize every inch of the scroll

Sakura silently watched the rest of the team walk away, leaving just herself and Kakashi. "Well," she started flippantly, turning towards him, "looks like you'll have to walk me home, eh, Kakas--"

He was gone.

Sakura felt a wave of puzzlement wash over her. Why had he had just walked away, not even bothering to tell her good-bye? Nobody else did-- all were to busy with their own problems-- but she honestly thought Kakashi would have. She thought he would actually walk her home...

What in the world had happened? Less than two hours ago she was sitting beside him, laughing loudly and now... now she was alone, without even a good-bye to echo in her ears.

And the way he had looked at her in Tsunade's office-- it was as if he thought she was annoying. She should know… she had seen that look many times over the years.

_You should have known_, an annoying little voice inside her said. _Did you honestly think you had a chance? Did you honestly think that maybe, just maybe he actually felt more for you than just a friend?_

"Yes," she muttered darkly. "I actually did." She had every right to-- hadn't he told Genma, who told Ino, who had then told her that… damn.

She should have known right at that moment, when Ino had relayed the information to her. "Never trust just word of mouth, honey," her mother had often told her. "Ask for the _facts_."

She hadn't, and look where she ended up-- falling in love with someone who didn't feel the same.

How typical.

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**A/N: **_I'm sorry for the lack of updates, I really am, but there was nothing I could do. My computer crashed, erasing _everything_, and then I had to send it back to Dell, who then sent me a new one, and the new computer came TWO WEEKS after it was shipped, and I just finished installing everything on it. (Hence the late/short/suckish chapter.) I'm EXTREMELY sorry, and I'm serious when I say it won't happen again… as long as my new computer doesn't crash. And the next chapter will be the usual length, I promise, because I know this thing is super short. _

_Thanks to _Akemi Nyoko _for the help with this chapter!_

_On another note, I want every single person reading this to go check out _Mere Anarchy_. Her stories are simply amazing—mine look like the works of a second grader compared to hers—and she deserves some credit. She has a wonderful Kaka/Saku story out right now, so… mosey on over there!_

EDIT: _Another case of FF runningallthewordstogether and eating quotation marks. Thanks, FF. _


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